Methods and apparatus for creating and storing secure customer receipts on smart cards

• US 6,738,749 B1
• Filed: 09/09/1998
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Chasko, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US09/149,917
• Time in Patent Office: 2,078 Days
• Field of Search: 705/17, 705/16, 705/41-44
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system for creating, storing and retrieving secure transaction receipts. These transaction receipts may be stored on portable electronic media that can be carried by a consumer. Each transaction record contains information detailing the product or service purchased as well as a merchant ID and a customer (or other user) ID and an encrypted signature created from that data. The data can be further protected by the use of an optional user password. Examples of suitable portable storage media are personal computer diskettes, magnetic stripe cards or smart cards. The secure electronic transaction receipts may be used as substitutes for paper receipts. The portable electronic media is capable of storing a large plurality of such transaction records, thus simplifying a number of record keeping procedures, such as expense reporting and data entry for personal finance programs.

Claims

1. A method for creating authenticated electronic retail transaction receipts by generating a retail merchant'"'"'s signature, the method comprising the steps of:

storing data in a computer memory, said data comprising a retail merchant identification number, retail customer identification number, and transaction data;

storing in a computer memory a merchant supplied signature key;

encrypting said data with the merchant supplied signature key to generate a merchant signature;

generating a record comprising said merchant signature and detailed transaction data; and

storing the record on a point of sale (POS) system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of writing a copy of the record into a memory on a portable customer secure medium thereby providing the retail customer with a verifiable copy of the retail transaction record.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the portable customer secure medium is a smart card that a retail customer inserts into a smart card reader/writer, and further comprising the step of:

writing a copy of the record into a memory of a customer'"'"'s smart card thereby providing the retail customer with a verifiable copy of the retail transaction record.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the portable customer secure medium stores additional records, the method further comprising the steps of:

reading the records;

determining which of the records represents reimbursable business expenses; and

transmitting the records associated with the reimbursable business expenses to an accounting system.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of appending a retail customer'"'"'s signature in association with the record.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the portable customer secure medium is a smart card that a retail customer inserts into a merchant'"'"'s smart card reader/writer, and further comprising the step of:

writing a copy of the record into a memory of a customer'"'"'s smart card thereby providing the retail customer with a verifiable copy of the retail transaction record.

7. A method for creating authenticated electronic retail transaction receipts by generating a retail merchant'"'"'signature, the method comprising the steps of:

storing data in a computer memory, said data comprising a retail merchant identification number, a retail customer identification number, and transaction data;

generating a transaction specific session key;

encrypting said data with the transaction specific session key to generate a merchant signature;

generating a record comprising said merchant signature and detailed transaction data; and

storing the record on a point of sale (POS) system.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of writing a copy of the record into a memory on a portable customer secure medium thereby providing the retail customer with a verifiable copy of the retail transaction record.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the portable customer secure medium is a smart card that a retail customer inserts into a smart card reader/writer, and further comprising the step of:

writing a copy of the record into a memory of a customer'"'"'s smart card thereby providing the retail customer with a verifiable copy of the retail transaction record.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of appending a retail customer'"'"'s signature in association with the record.

11. A method for processing a returned retail purchase comprising the steps of:

reading retail transaction data from a memory of customer secure medium, said retail transaction data including a retail merchant identification number and a retail customer identification number;

reading a merchant signature associated with said retail transaction data from the memory of the customer secure medium;

reading a merchant signature key from a merchant secure medium;

encrypting said retail transaction data with the merchant signature key to generate a generated merchant signature; and

comparing said merchant signature read from a customer secure medium to said generated merchant signature to the authenticity of said retail transaction data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the customer secure medium is a smart card that a retail customer inserts into a smart card reader/writer.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the merchant secure medium is a smart card that a retail merchant inserts into a smart card reader/writer.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the merchant secure medium is a record permanently stored in a memory of a merchant POS system.

15. A system for generating and storing verifiable electronic retail transaction receipts comprising:

a point of sale (POS) system including a plurality of POS terminals, said terminals comprising a microprocessor, a memory, an operator keyboard, an operator display, a cash drawer;

a store controller;

a computer program executed by the POS system for storing data in the memory comprising a retail merchant identification number, a retail customer identification number, and transaction data, said program for encrypting said data with a merchant supplied signature key to generate a merchant signature and generating a verifiable electronic retail transaction receipt comprising said merchant signature and detailed transaction data; and

a customer secure medium and a merchant secure medium for storing said verifiable electronic retail transaction receipts.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the POS system further comprises a smart card reader/writer and wherein the customer secure medium is a smart card that a retail customer inserts into said smart card reader/writer.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the POS system further comprises a smart card reader/writer and wherein the merchant secure medium is a smart card that a retail merchant inserts into said smart card reader/writer.

18. A method for creating authenticated electronic retail transaction receipts by generating a retail merchant'"'"'s signature, the method comprising the steps of:

storing data in a computer memory, said data comprising a retail record having at least one element related to a transaction;

storing in a computer memory a merchant supplied signature key;

encrypting said data with the merchant supplied signature key to generate a merchant signature;

generating a record comprising said merchant signature and detailed transaction data related to the transaction; and

storing the record on a point of sale (POS) system.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of writing a copy of the record into a memory on a portable customer secure medium thereby providing the retail customer with a verifiable copy of the retail transaction record.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the portable customer secure medium is a smart card that a retail customer inserts into a smart card reader/writer, and further comprising the step of:

writing a copy of the record into a memory of the customer'"'"'s smart card thereby providing the retail customer with a verifiable copy of the retail transaction record.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of appending a retail customer'"'"'s signature in association with the record.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the portable customer secure medium is a smart card that a retail customer inserts into a merchant'"'"'s smart card reader/writer, and further comprising the steps of:

writing a copy of the record into a memory of a customer'"'"'s smart card thereby providing the retail customer with a verifiable copy of the retail transaction record.